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Corps, local communities to observe 50th anniversary of Littleville Lake, 75th anniversary of Knightville Dam; Ceremony scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 8

Published Oct. 4, 2016

CONCORD, Mass. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, the communities of Huntington and Chester, along with several other agencies and groups, will observe the 50th anniversary of the construction of the Littleville Lake project and the 75th anniversary of the Knightville Dam project in a ceremony on Oct. 8, 2016 in Huntington, Mass.

 

“These projects are great examples of applied engineering and science successfully mitigating flood risk and damage, and adding immeasurable value to the region,” said District Engineer Col. Christopher Barron, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District, headquartered in Concord, Mass. "These dams have protected downstream citizens in Massachusetts for 75 years in the case of Knightville Dam and 50 years in the case of Littleville Lake dam. They have proven to be a very successful investment of time and money, together preventing more than $490.8 million in flood damages since their construction."

 

A ceremony to observe the 50th anniversary of Littleville Lake and the 75th anniversary of Knightville Dam will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016 starting at 11 a.m. at Littleville Dam at 32 Goss Hill Road in Huntington, Mass. Take Route 20 west to Huntington and then Route 112 north. Activities will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

 

Attending the ceremony will include representatives from the town of Huntington Board of Selectmen, the Huntington Historical Society, the town of Chester, the city of Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, the Westfield Wild and Scenic Rivers Committee, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others. After the ceremony, Littleville Lake dam will have an “open house” for visitors, with rangers on hand to answer questions and provide information. The town of Chester Historical Society will have a display. There will be a guided tour of Knightville Dam at 1:30 p.m.

 

Construction of Littleville Lake dam, on the Middle Branch of the Westfield River in Huntington, was begun in June 1962 and completed in October 1965 at a cost of $6.8 million. The project stores Middle Branch floodwaters and helps to lower flood stages in downstream communities along the Westfield River. The project consists of an earth-fill dam with stone slope protection 1,360 feet long and 164 feet high. The dam can store an estimated 7.5 billion gallons of floodwater and has prevented damages to date of $152.8 million. More than 39,000 visitors annually enjoy the 1,567-acre Littleville Lake park for boating, fishing, picnicking, nature study, hunting, cross country skiing and snowmobiling.

 

Littleville Lake is a multipurpose reservoir, also serving as a backup water supply area for the city of Springfield.

 

Knightville Dam, on the Westfield River in Huntington, was constructed at a cost of $3.3 million. The 1,200-foot-long, 150-foot-high dam can impound a 49,000-acre-foot reservoir (equivalent to 15.8 billion gallons of water). Construction began in August 1939 and was completed in 1941. The project has prevented flood damages of $338 million. More than 41,000 annual visitors enjoy the variety of recreational pursuits available at Knightville, including picnicking, hiking, fishing, mountain biking, hunting, horseback riding and cross country skiing and snowmobiling in season. Most of the 2,430 acres of the Knightville Dam area is undeveloped.

 

In conjunction with Knightville Dam, Littleville Lake provides flood protection to Huntington, Westfield, West Springfield, and other communities on the Westfield River. They also help to reduce flood damages along the main stem of the Connecticut River.

 

For up-to-date information on Littleville Lake call Park Manager Matthew Coleman at (413) 667-3656 or visit the project’s website at http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Littleville-Lake/.

 

For up-to-date information on Knightville Dam call (413) 667-3430 or visit the website at

www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/KnightvilleDam.aspx.


Contact
Tim Dugan
978-318-8264
cenae-pa@usace.army.mil

Release no. 2016-092